Network Movement for Women with Disabilities

"The Sierra Leone Disabled Women for Positive Change"

ABOUT US

Network Movement for Women with Disabilities (NMWD) is a unique group of disabled women with all forms of disabilities, who are determined to change the lives of all disabled women in Sierra Leone and beyond.

We want to ensure that the rights of disabled women in Sierra Leone are not being denied; we want disabled women to be included in nation building; we want to put a stop to domestic violence against disabled women and increase the economic life of disabled women in Sierra Leone, through professional IT training and employment.

The Project is funded under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Bilateral Programme Budget, delivered through the British High Commission, Freetown.

VISION

To see that disabled women live fully integrated lives both socially and economically.

OBJECTIVES

Working towards equality

People with disability have the right to earn a living and live independently

To transform the lives of disabled women through technical training, such as ICT (Information Communication Technology) training

To create advocacy for disabled women

To give security and healthcare to persons with disability

Empower disabled women to take active part in nation building

ACTIVITIES

Skills Training- To engage disabled women in skills like gara tie dying, hair dressing, trading etc which will help them live independently.

Counselling- Talk to colleague disabled women that all is not lost despite their disabilities they can be what they want to be.

Fundraising- To involve in activities like sport, musical shows, beauty pageant shows, which will help us get money to help other disabled women.

Radio/Television- To go radio/television to sensitize people about disability issues on how they should interact/treat disabled and stop the stigmatization.

Annual General Meeting- We meet annually with disabled women from all the fourteen (14) districts to discuss issues affecting disabled women and the way forward of the organization.

WHO IS WHO

Eleanor Massah Abdulai

My name is Eleanor Massah Abdulai, born on November,28,1988. I am an amputee, I got my amputation during the eleven years rebel war in my country by stepping on a landmines when I was at age 10. I attended the Holy Rosary Primary School in Kenema, there I attained my National Primary School Examination (NPSE) and further at the Holy Rosary Secondary School where I sat to my Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and then continued at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Secondary where I attained my higher Secondary School Examination (WASSCE)

My ambition in life is to help persons with disabilities(especially disabled women and children) by setting up a charitable organization,and I hope to make very good use of the computer skills that I will gain through this course.

After this computer training,I hope to gain a solid computer skills which will help me fulfill my ambition and also to be able to develop my own self website, which I have been longing to be able to do (website development).

Finally, I am happy to be among the few lucky women who was fortunate to get the opportunity to go through this course, which I am happy for, because it will empower me to be able to be self reliance, by creating my own charitable organization. i want to set up my own organization to help and empower the less privileged disabled persons. I also want to say a big thank you to the British High Commission alongside the Dorothy Springer Trust for such a privilege,which will enable me achieve my goals or make my dream become reality.

Kadiatu Mansaray

My name is Kadiatu Mansaray, born on the 22nd June 1993. I suffered from polio when I was four years old.

I started my primary school at the Freetown Cheshire Home. I sat to the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) in the year 2006 and got a very good grade. I then entered the Bishop Johnson Memorial Secondary School where I sat to the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2009 and later sat to the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2012.

I hope to proceed my education at Fourah bay College where I intend to read Law. My hope is to become a Lawyer because I love justice and like to see people being treated fairly.

I am very grateful and happy for such an opportunity given to me by DST and the British High Commission which I promise to take very serious.

This training will be very useful to me in the future. I want to be the first female disabled IT specialist in Sierra Leone and beyond and which will also serve as an employment for me and help me to be self reliant.After this training, I will like to support my fellow disable women be self empowered through IT training because ''Disability is not inability but the ability to rehabilitate.''

Mariatu S Kanu

My name is Mariatu S. Kanu. My type of disability is polio. I attended the Ahmadiyya Muslim Primary School, Makama road Makeni city. I proceeded to the Ahmadiyya Junior Secondary School where I sat for my basic education certificate examination (B.E.C.E) and continued my senior secondary school in the same school and now I am in SSS three commercial.

My aim in the future is that, I want to become an Accountant, I am sure that it will help me to become an independent woman even though I am disabled. After this course, I hope to gain some computer skills that will help me in my office in the future.

I thank the Dorothy Springer Trust (DST) and British high commission for giving me this wonderful opportunity, and I hope to make very good use of it.

Marie Bangura

My name is Marie Bangura. I was born on the 4, April 1995. I am physically challenged. I can use wheelchair and crutches.

I gain my primary school education at the Freetown Cheshire Primary School, where I sat my National Primary School Examination [N.P.S.E]. I attended the Henry Fergusson Junior Secondary School and later sat my Basic Education Certificate Examination [B.E.C.E] with good grades and I further attended my Senior Secondary School at the Government Municipal Secondary School Kissy Dockyard. Presently I am in S.S.S four [4].

In my future plan I hope to become a journalist, because I want to be a role model among disabled people and especially disabled women.

I want to thank the Dorothy Springer Trust [DST] for giving me the opportunity to do this course. I hope to gain basic knowledge in Information Communication Technology [I.C.T] and hope it will benefit me in job market.

Saffiatu Kamara

My name is Saffiatu Kamara. When I was eight years old, I was born hard of hearing; I attended the Saint Joseph Primary School Freetown. I transferred to the Methodist Girls High School Freetown. I took my B.E.C.E. exam, and i transferred to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School Freetown. I took my my (WASSCE) exam in 2009 and 2010. After i looked for Scholarship to support me to attend the Milton Margai Collage, but was unsuccessful. I thank GOD for the One Family organization which to lead me to the (DST) to support my scholarship to Learn about this computer course.

I thank GOD for this scholarship, it makes me happy and comfortable to learn about the computer system and also they have patient to teach me and help me understand. Maybe in the future if I finish the computer course, I will be a leader for the deaf or I get a job. I bless DST to continue to teach and encourage many more disabled women.

Mariatu T Mansaray

My name is Mariatu T Mansaray. I was not born disabled but contracted my disability when I was 5yrs of age, with only one leg. Because of my disability my mother carried me to a Boarding Home, which is the SOS Home for the Physically Challenged, where I was brought up by the organization. At the SOS Hermann Gmeiner International School, I attended my primary School education and I sat my National Primary School Exam (N.P.S.E) and I also further my junior Secondary School at the same school, where I took my Basic Education Certificate Exam (B.E.C.E). After my B.E.C.E Exams, I got very good grades to enter the Senior Secondary School, this motivated my sponsors and made them very pleased to support me further my education.

As a result of having this opportunity, I hope to be an accountant which I hope to gain in the future. Having this faith in me, it would motivate me to continue my education and to become serious. Because, as a disabled woman I want to the best accountant general in society, so that people won't see me as a disabled person.

Furthermore, with the help of DST (Dorothy Springer Trust), I thank them for giving me the opportunity to gain knowledge in computers, which will make me very proud of myself in the end. I hope to make very good use of my skills.

Foday Bangura

My name is Foday Bangura, I was born the 20th March 1995 in Yoni Chiefdom, Tonkolili Disrtrict. I became blind at the age of 3 (three) years. When measles entered in my eyes by then there was no qualify Doctor in my village as a result of this the Nurse in my village gave me injection on my right hand and in the process to cure my measles she also gave some disabilities on my right hand but I thank God for my life.

I started my primary education in my village at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Primary School in Mano Village. In 2003 I came to the Milton Margai School for the Blind where I did my class 4 to 6. After my primary School I went to the Murray Town Municipal Junior Secondary School with the help of Miss Barbara Davidson after taking my Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) I got a very good result and went to the Modern High School where I did my Senior High. At Modern High I got a lots of friends I have just taken my West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in which I hope to get a very good result.

I thank Madame Louisa Waddingham the former Director of British Council in Sierra Leone who paid for me at the Dorothy Springer Trust (DST) for me to do my Computer Course. After completing my I.T course I hope to gain basic I.T skills that will help me in my office in future.

I hope to go to Fourah Bay College (FBC) to study History and Politics. This is because there is nobody in my family who has gone to Fourah Bay College. Also I want to become a Politician for me to be able to provide basic amenities such as Hospitals, Community Centre's, Town halls, Schools and so on for my people-. I love my people so much I hope to save them from poverty in the future despite my disabilities I still believe that I can do it for my people.

[Foday is a private disabled candidate at DST, but has joined the disabled women's project].